The Monologue
🎭 NEW: Peter Talks Monologues –
We're excited to introduce a brand-new page on the site, dedicated entirely to one of the most essential and challenging aspects of performing the monologue.
Peter Talks Monologues and this new page is part of our ongoing Talks with Demonstrations series — where technique meets practical application. In this first instalment, Peter explores the actor’s approach to monologues:
how to begin them, how to find the truth, and how to sustain the energy through to the end.
🔶 “How to Start a Monologue” — A Demonstration
The focus here is on those crucial first moments. A monologue doesn’t begin with the first line — it begins with the impulse behind it.
This demo explores how an actor can respond truthfully to what just happened in the scene, and let that response ignite the start of the monologue with intention, purpose, and emotion.
“From Start to Finish” — Full Performance Demonstrations
Watch how the choices made at the beginning shape the monologue all the way through. These full-length demonstrations show how initial energy and emotional clarity drive rhythm, tone, and meaning — making the monologue come alive.
Technique + Interpretation + Common mistakes.
Peter shares insights into the craft of performing monologues — what makes them work, what often holds them back, and how to approach them not as detached speeches, but as living responses to the prior moment and dramatic events.
Visit our monologue page now to see Peter demonstrating. 👉
Whether you're a student, a working actor, or just passionate about the craft, this new page offers some insights and a valuable practical, truthful approach to monologues.
Monologue Demonstration page 👉
In memory of Philip Seymour Hoffman — an actor who brought humanity to every monologue he performed.
Charlie Wilson's War (Monologue)
Just a very short snippet of a monologue from the movie.
The necessity for 'uncertainty' in an artist's (actor's) life.
" I think being an artist is about saying: 'I don't know. ' "